


That's Not Quite What Rolling Around in the Mud Means

by Owlwithafringe



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Drabble, Drunkenness, First Kiss, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Pig Pens, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2014-05-25
Packaged: 2018-01-26 10:26:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1684985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwithafringe/pseuds/Owlwithafringe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a night out at 'The Rising Sun', the Prince and his Manservant become thoroughly intoxicated. Due to the boys idiocy and drunkenness they manage to fall into a Pig Pen on the way back to the Castle. Even though they're covered in mud Arthur takes it upon himself to confess his feelings to Merlin. Except he doesn't actually tell him. And then he chickens out afterwards. Just as well Merlin's slightly less of an idiot than Arthur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Not Quite What Rolling Around in the Mud Means

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this very quickly at 4am, so let know if the characters are a little OOC. I of course appreciate any feedback you guys can give me. If this gets a positive response i have a bit of an idea for 'the morning after'. 
> 
> I don't own the characters or the show, and make no profit from this.

It was a quiet night in the citadel of Camelot. The sky was dark and a light wind blew between the houses. The streets were deserted and the only noise that could be heard for miles around was the knights in their heavy armor clanging as they patrolling the city.

And of the Crown Prince and his manservant singing lewd songs in drunken tones as they stumbled back to the castle from the tavern. 

The Prince it seemed was the drunker of the two; The manservant had enough common sense to realise that it was part of his job to get the drunken prince safely back to his room, which was rather hard when you could not in fact actually stand up. That’s not to say he wasn’t off his face too.

The Prince it seemed had been reeled into a drinking competition with Sir Gwaine, which to anyone who knew Gwaine knew that the Prince could not win. However, anyone who also knew the Prince knew that he would not take the challenge lightly and would try and drink the knight under the table. Somewhere along the Prince’s manservant got roped in too and despite much teasing and prodding matched the Prince drink for drink. 

After all, it was the Prince who would be paying for it all.

It was easy enough to conclude from the evidence who had won the competition - It was Gwaine, just in case it was unclear. Whilst the Prince and the Manservant had managed to become thoroughly intoxicated, Gwaine had still been able to walk in a straight line even though he’d drunk more than both of the other men. The Prince proclaimed that it wasn’t a very fair competition due to the fact he was positive that Gwaine had mead running through his veins.

The two men stumbled through the lower streets of the city, the manservant mostly holding up the Prince. The Prince grappled his servants arm as the Manservant tripped over an uneven stone on the floor almost dropping them both to ground.

“Merlin! You idiot, you almost dropped me!”

Merlin normally in response would have had a witty remark at the ready but at that moment in time he was too busy concentrating on getting them back to the castle without either of them breaking a bone.

"It's not my fault I have to lug your fat arse around the place! You could actually help you know, or is that beneath your royal pratness?"

Arthur spluttered in Merlin's ear. "Fat ar- do you know who you are talking to!?"

"Indeed I do: His royal highness, Prince Pratdragon."

Arthur who had been leaning already quite heavily on Merlin tugged on his his left side in a show of indignant display with a prepared speech about how Merlin couldn't talk to him like that on the tip of his tongue. 

Arthur actually quite enjoyed Merlin's quips. It was enjoyable to have someone to verbally spar with, not that he could share that information with Merlin - he had appearances to keep up after all.

It just happened that as Arthur tugged on Merlin, Merlin had been mid-step. And due to this aggressive jerk it caused Merlin to over balance which lead to Merlin falling into Arthur who in turn started falling sideways until he too lost his balance and crashed over a fence into a pig pen.

Arthur landed flat on his back, and a great whoosh of air escaped his lungs as Merlin fell on top of him.

Merlin who had closed his eyes during the fall in anticipation for the hard landing was surprised by the decidedly squishy landing, peeked an eye open to see Arthur's face right in front of his.

"Ger-off Merlin, you're squishing me."

Merlin rolled off Arthur into the cold mud of the pen. The wet mud stained into his clothes as it dripped down his shirt and trousers. Arthur who seemed quite relaxed despite of the events turned onto his side, mud smearing itself across his abdomen, to face Merlin who had sat up. He gave Merlin a considering look.

"You know for someone so skinny, you're awfully heavy."

Merlin curled his knees up to his chest in an effort to stay warm and rested his chin atop them. Merlin let out a quiet laugh and arched an eyebrow.

"You want to talk about weight? Do you want me tell you how I had to put yet _another_ hole in your belt yesterday?"

Merlin would have usually expected a comeback of 'it's all muscle' or 'it's because you're a useless servant' but oddly enough Arthur stayed silent. It was enough to make Merlin feel uncomfortable but Arthur seemed content just to study Merlin. It felt like he was being a witness at a court session: every last secret being forced out. It seemed quite possible to Merlin that Arthur's body had finally caught up with his brain and there was in fact no signs of intelligent life up there and had shut down.

Merlin tried to break Arthur out of whatever stupor he was in.

"Arthur? You still there?"

Arthur reached up a dirty hand and let a coarse thumb sweep gently over a prominent cheekbone. 

"You had a bit of mud.." Arthur trailed off. He left his hand on Merlin's face, lingering over it.

Merlin looked questioningly at Arthur, confusion clouding his drunken brain as his thoughts tried to catch up and compute to what was happening.

Arthur suddenly sat up and leaned into Merlin and caught his lips in a light kiss. Merlin's eyes widened in shock but soon fluttered shut as he reciprocated the kiss.

As quickly as it began, it stopped and Arthur pulled back looking slightly flushed and a little bit dazed. Merlin himself was a little dazed and he tilted his head in thought as he considered his Prince anew. Arthur quickly jumped to his feet and clumsily vaulted out of the Pig Pen and back onto the street. 

"Last one back to the castle is a sorceress!" Arthur called as he stumbled down the street on his own.

Merlin still sat in the Pig Pen and watched Arthur go, still slightly confused about the whole ordeal.

" _Well.._ " Merlin pondered to himself. " _That's definitely something I should look into. And as if my life wasn't complicated enough._ "

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, feedback is always appreciated and motivates me to write more! Come and find me on Tumblr at **[Owlwithafringe](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/)** , to see updates on fics or to leave me a prompt.


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